Wildfire smoke descends upon Edmonton, raises health risk

Nelson Wiebe, Edmonton Journal07.17.2014

Traffic on Baseline Road heads toward the hazy city skyline, caused by smoke and ash from forest fires in the province, in Edmonton on Wednesday July 16, 2014. (photo by John Lucas/Edmonton Journal)John Lucas

Traffic on Baseline Road heads toward the hazy city skyline, caused by smoke and ash from forest fires in the province, in Edmonton on Wednesday July 16, 2014. (photo by John Lucas/Edmonton Journal)John Lucas

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EDMONTON - Edmonton was placed under a health advisory Wednesday because of smoky, hazy air from hundreds of forest fires.

The city’s air quality health index reached as high as seven, which should be considered a high risk, said Dr. Chris Sikora, medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services.

“We may be seeing a little bit of ash being blown in, but it’s really that fine particulate matter that can get into the lungs that is of most concern,” Sikora said.

The fires are burning in western Alberta, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.

Health officials asked residents to minimize their outdoor activities if they could smell or taste smoke in the air, and to monitor symptoms when outdoors.

The smoke can cause headaches, coughing, irritate the eyes and throat, shortness of breath, and chest pain or discomfort in healthy individuals, Sikora said. Those with existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions could find their symptoms worsening.

It wasn’t known how long the smoky conditions would last.

“Best I can tell is that the air quality will continue to be quite poor into (Thursday),” Sikora said. “Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine, but I suspect this type of air quality will be here for several days.”

After a slow start, the fire season took a dramatic turn in recent days. Hundreds of fires have razed more than 855,000 hectares in the Northwest Territories, 53,000 hectares in B.C. and 14,000 hectares in Alberta.

An evacuation order affecting about 1,150 residents was issued for the District of Hudson’s Hope in northeastern B.C. About a dozen residents in the remote Nose Creek settlement in northwest Alberta were also ordered to leave their homes.

Travel in the area should be avoided and backcountry travellers in the area should leave.

ConocoPhillips spokesman Rob Evans said two gas plants south of Grande Prairie have been evacuated because of nearby wildfires.

About six people work at the facilities, he said. The impact on production was expected to be minimal.

Eighteen wildfires were burning Wednesday in Alberta — three out of control, six are being held and nine are under control.

Most are in northern Alberta, although one of the fires classified as being held is in Banff National Park. It’s being contained at approximately 7,000 hectares, or 70 square kilometres.

“It has not spread since Saturday night,” Rick Kubian, resource conservation manager with Parks Canada, said early Wednesday. “It’s by no means a done deal. It’s been very active, but we’re happy with the containment lines we’ve brought it to.”

The fire has burned about 2,500 hectares on the northeast edge of Banff National Park and led to intermittent closings on Highway 93 N. and Highway 11. It has also closed nearby forests, trails and campgrounds.

Candace Green, who lives in Fort St. John, B.C., said her community was exceptionally smoky.

“There’s ash raining from the sky, which is kind of apocalyptic,” she said. “I’ve been here 20 years and I’ve never seen this. It seems like everything’s on fire.”

Green said residents are talking about offering up their homes to anyone who’s been forced to leave nearby communities.

“Right now, I understand they’re winning the battle, but at the same time it is scary. Look what happened in Slave Lake,” she said of the Alberta community, one third of which was destroyed by a wildfire in 2011.

People in Yellowknife are facing the same smoky conditions as Edmonton. Environment Canada issued a high health risk warning for the Northwest Territories city and surrounding area.

About 160 fires are burning throughout the N.W.T.

Bill Mawdsley, director of forest fire management with the N.W.T. Department of the Environment, said the fires were not threatening any people or homes and there were no plans for evacuations.

Wildfire smoke from the Northwest Territories drifted into Edmonton on Wednesday, turning skies a yellowish-grey colour and prompting experts to warn people to stay indoors.

“There is growing evidence that wildfire smoke exposure can cause hospitalizations and emergency room visits for pneumonia and acute bronchitis,” said Colleen Reid, a doctoral candidate the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in environmental health.

“There is also growing evidence that mortality can increase on days with very high smoke exposure from wildfires.”

Tips to keep yourself healthy and safe:

1. Stay inside.

2. Close windows and doors.

3. Reduce or reschedule outdoor physical activity.

4. Set air conditioners to recirculation mode so that they do not pull in smoky air from outside.

5. If you suffer from a respiratory or heart condition, keep a close eye on symptoms and seek medical help if they get worse. People with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are at risk of worsening symptoms, says Amy Elefson, program specialist with The Lung Association. There is also an increased risk of heart attack when the air is filled with smoke.

6. Seniors and children have a greater chance of experiencing health problems when air quality is poor.

8. Don’t bother with masks. Particles and gases in the air from wildfires are too small to be filtered out. “They can actually get through masks or around the sides,” says Elefson. “So it’s not really beneficial to wear a mask.”

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